Process of producing starch.



J. J.- BERRIGAN. PROGESSO PRODUGING STARGH. AYPLIOATION FILED MAn.3o,191o.

JOHN J. BEBRIGAN, or oaANGE, NEW JERSEY.

.ducing starch; and it embraces a meth PROCESS 0F PRODUCING STABQH.-

Specication of Letters Patent. v

Appueation ined march so, iso. serii'No. 552,328.

To all whom 'it may concern: Be it known that I, JOHN J. BERRIGAN, a citizen of the United States, residing 'at Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Processes of Producing Starch, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to processes of r'o o producing starch from grain and similar farinaceous materials wherein the grain is ground wet in the usual manner to make starch milk, this milk is aerated to facilitate separation of the components and istherea'fter separated into layers of starch, liquid and floating impurities; all as more fully hereinafter set forth andzas claimed.

In the art of starch manufacture, the

'grain or other farinaceous -raw material is ordinarily steeped in'an aqueous liquid, such' l as weak sulfurousacid, sulfite solutions, etc.,

, more tediousand expensive than they shouldA ground wet and strained 'or screened. The coarser parts, such 'as hulls and the like, remain on the 'screens while' a liquid or liquor, called starch milk in the art, strains through.l This starch milk, Vfor the present purposes, consists of starch granules and.

other finely divided matter from the grain suspended in a liquid which is an aqueous solution of the soluble matters of the grain and of the chemicals used in the s'teeping` operation. In addition there are more or-` less sand and dirt and oil or AfatV present. The non-starchy matters in the art are called lglutenand consist of a.-.wide variety of Adifferent constituents of the grain from albuminoid bodies, such as the 'chemical sub- -stanceglutem to husky and chafy particles,

some being heavy and dense, somebeing lighter, some .of a more or less slimy or iiocky locculent nature, etc.

All the methods of separating starch from the other constituents of starch milk depend on the relatively high specic gravity of starch which is, in the case of thefully matured starch granule, about 1.50. In the usual practice, the starch milk is A.run down inclined tables where the different substanqes separate inthe order of their specific gravity. The separated starch is then remixed with' water and the operation repeated. In

less used methods, thev starch is separated from the milk in'. centrifugal machines. The ordinary. methodsl are, lilowever slow and be owing to the .imperfect nature of the separation whichcan beefl'ected in a single operation. As stated, the gluten is composed of a number of substances, some of which are heavy and some of which are light. On the other hand, the starch as it occurs in nature is not always of -the same specific gravity, immature grains being more or less hydrated and of relatively less specific grav ity. Nor are the granules all of the same size, so that in sizing or levigating actions, (and starch separation in principle is a levigating.v action) they donot separate alike. In practice in the preliminary separation therefore a relatively pure starch 1s never Patented' June 6,1911.,

obtained and on the other hand the gluten invariably carries more or. less starch with 1t.

I have discovered that by asimple expedient I can artificially increase the diii'erence in specific gravity ofv the components of the starch milk and cause the gluten to float, this expedient being aeratlng the liquid. On aerating starch milk, and particularly that made from corn or maize, the

.airbubbles have a. much greater tendency to cling to the' gluten particles than -to the starch particles, so that by a proper control of conditions with aregulated aeration of the liquid the former can be caused to float,4

being' buoyed up by the` bubbles. Any gas maybe used in lieu of air, but air is satisfactory and convenient. In the operation,

care mustbe of course taken to'control-the aeration since the .admission'of too much air may tend to buoy up the starch while. too little will allow some of the gluten to sink.

The process rmay be applied in any of a wide variety of ways. For' examp e, the

.starch milk may be treated with air or other gas under pressure, the pressure released and the liquid transferred to a starch table or a centrifugal for separation. Underv the pressure, the air will dissolve to some extent in the liquid while upon release of pressure, it will be revolved in the gaseous form as `'minute bubbles clinging' to the gluten particles, which exercise the wellknown nucleous action in promoting the' separation of dissolved solutes. .This separation, being a nucleus action, 1s preferential and the separation is upon'the gluten'I particles in preference to the starch particles. Or, the starch milk may be fed to thel separating device', such as the starchtable ora starch. centrifugal, through an aeratm'g device, such as a pipe connection rovided 4 with mea-ns for introducing air an having an aerating nozzle or device. In operating a centrifugal having a rotating tubular feed element, if this element be belled or radially directed at any point thesuction due to centrifugal force may make the liquid to enter the machine with considerable violence and by proper designing of the apparatus elements, air may be caused to accompany it in suitable amounts and in a state of suitable distribution, without the use of special airforcing means.

As stated, he amount of air admiXed with `starch milk and acts as a buoying element for'some time, the time being generally the less the greater the magnitude of the bubble. And as the gluten particles are small and no great flotative power is requisite to secure a good separation, the bubbles should also be small for this reason. Such small bubbles are secured, as well as a good utilization of the preferential nucleus action, where air is released froma solution made under pressure. In introducing air with starch milk through a nozzle or other distributing element, some solution of the air is secured and the remainder of the air, with properly designed apparatus, is well divided and distributed.

The particular design or type of the appa- 4ratus used in securing the aeration of the starch 'milk as well as of the apparatus employed in 'securing the separation y of the buoyed gluten from the starch are of subordinate importance. As stated however, the means for aeration are preferably such as will secure the introduction of a regulated amount of air and cause its thorough and minute distribution through the starch milk, either as evolving bubbles or as subdivided air, or both. In-the separation, the means employed should be such as will effect a substantial separation of the starch and gluten prior to the dissipation of the buoying bubbles and for this reason it may well be some type of suitable centrifugal or a specially designed starch table, having, for example, a steeper slope than is usual.

Centrifugal machines have hitherto proved not well adapted for starch separation since ythey eiect a graded separation of the heavier components of the gluten as well as of the parts of the starch of different specific gravity. In an ordinary vertical imper- 65, forate bowl, starch milk when fed in may,

for example, give next the ybowl wall a .layer of starch containing veinings and stratifications of heavy gluten, then successive layers of gluten and starch in various states of impurity and finally an inner layer or wall of water and the flocky and slimy constituents of gluten. With the present method, on the other hand, with proper means for introduction and withdrawal, the fractionation may be into three layers, one of starch and one of'ioating gluten with an intervening layer of liquor; and from these three layers the several substances may be constantly and automatically withdrawn by suitable mechanical means. But the apparatus chosen should be one which permits the withdrawal ofthe gluten prior to the dissipation of the buoying air bubbles. A long horizontal machine Vhaving means for working the materials of the di'erent zones in different directions and effecting van initial separation prior to dissipation of the buoying air bodies is a suitable apparatus; but other types may be employed. The important thing in the present process is to produce the differential {iotation so as to cause the gluten to ioat and then to effect a separationbefore the aerative effect has disappeared, andobviously many mechanical means may be devised for carrying it into effect.

In one typical embodiment of the present process I may rotate a drum or cylinder on its axis in either a horizontal or a vertical position and introduce aerated starch milk. This may be doneby connecting the feed pipe' with a source of air under pressure in such a manner as to produce a good intermingling of gas and iuid prior to ejecting into the bowl, the connection being made in such a manner as to give a re lable control ofthe relative proportions o the two. Or the feed pipe may be made a rotative part of the centrifugal and provided with a slight enlargement at the point of discharge or it may be directed radially outward at one point as at the inner end to cause a suction and introduce air with the milk. In so doing however, since the centrifugal action is a powerful one, means must be provided to control the amount of air so entering; The

centrifugal machine should be provided with means for removing the starch from the point of introduction of the starch milk to a point beyond so that it may not be contaminated with gluten allowed to sink'by the dissipation of adhering air, and similarly the floated gluten should be quickly removed to a point where it cannot contaminate the starch by settling. And the action in the centrifugal should not be prolonged as regards the initial separation of any individual portion of freshly introduced starch milk.

A suitable apparatus for the present purpose is a cylindrical or conedhorizontal cylinder having a wall or inner surface inclined from the lnner circumference toward the center and with means near the inner 'cir cumference and the outlet. A sim-ple cylin.

der may be employed ifit be provided with proper conveyer means lto cause the starch I,wall to 4buildup into a lhollow cone having .asurface inclined toward the center and extending outo'f the liquor and gluten annuli. Such' an apparatus may be provided with astarch milk inlet leading to a ymidpoint and carrying a tube rotating with the cylinder. .Upon rotation such a tube positively impels the starch milk inward and by suitable'conl the starch is collected-in another, the initial.

struction a sufficient amount of air may be simultaneously introduced in a suitable manner, as. by providing the tube with .a valved air-inlet and precluding lother introduction of air. The only7 advantage. of centrifugal action in the present process however is as permittinga quicker separation; as vpermitting the qulck separation of gluten and starch' prior to the dissipationy of the eii'ects of aeration, centrifugal force being more powerfulthan gravitation and hence giving a quicker separation. Where gravity alone isemployed as the separating agent,l

more efficient aerating means must lbe 'elnployedand, furthermore, since the diit'erence in density is greater in aerated starch milkv than in non-aerated, the ordinary starch table may bemodied to give a quicker separation by making its slant steeper. l' j The important point in the present method is that of producing an artificial 'differentiation in specific gravity between the solid components of starch milk and then lmaking a rapid separation before this diiferentiation disappears. 'y Y x While the present fmethod* may be employed with any of the grains oor with other,

farinaceous materials such as potatoes, I re gard it as particularly 'adapted for inaking corn starch since the presence of the oil in corn appearsto makethe components of the starch milk particularly susceptible tothe described artificial differentiation in :specific gravity between the starch and the gluten.

` After the se aration of the floated gluten, it may be col ected onC the tables or ina centrifugal in the ordinaryV manner as the buoying ain bubbles dissipate. 0r with specially designed centrifugals it may be collected in one part of the machinewhile iloating and separation of the two having takeng.place at a midpoint.

The; starch separated from .the `floated gluten lmay be collected and refined in the usual manner; -and the floating operation may be esired. Since the separation .of starch and buoyed gluten is in a way a positive action, the operator is not restricted either to starch tables or centrifugal but may use any'typ'e of apparatus adapted to separate settled solids and floating solids levigating machines. Or a simple tank may bel used, starch being withdrawn from the bottom and floated gluten fromapoint above. v

In thevaccompanying illustration I have shown, more -o r less dlagrammatically, certain means capable` of use in the described process.

tion of one 'of the` many ty es of centrifugal which may be employed; Flig. 2 is a diagram- 0matic representation' of a kstarch table .in vertical section; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view on a ym-uch enlargedl scale, showing separation of floatin luten.

- In' the showingl ofglgig. 1, element 1 is a rotatable horizontal centrifugal drum having a coned portion and a cylindrical portion '2. At the smaller end of the drum it'is closed by wall 3, rigid .with sleeve 4,

wheel 5 or other appropriate means. At the other end of the centrifugal is wall 6 having perforations 7 at, a suitable level. This wall is rigid with a feed sleeve 8 sion 10 provided with/a delivery device 11. Within this drum is another drum-like member 12, having an r-end wall 13 rigid with the shaft 14, mounted 'withinthe sleeve of the firs/t drum and having pulley 15 or other devlcev for imparting motion thereto. On .its periphery theqinner drum carries a helical screw conveyer 16 corresponding to and movin over the inner .wall of the outer drum. This inner drum is provided with a skeleton extension 17 upon which the continuation of the screw conveyer `is mounted. The skeleton. extension is 'mounted on arms 18, rigid with collar` 19. W

` The device is fed with starch milk fram hopper 20 havin "a .starch milk feeding' vdevice 21 f exten lng therewithin," 'At its base the ho per communicates with a stationary cy indrical chamber' 22, ttmg low shaft is ,an 'air chamber 28, rovided with air delivery orifices 29. .l is air from a body of liquor, such as the many In this showing, Figure-1 is a'vertical secto which motion may be imparted by pulley closely against the feed sleeve. Within this may be re eated upon the starch as often as rotating in bearings 9, and having an enten- 12,5. -device (11). `Seated within theend ofthe hollow shaft is an wir pipe- 26, valved' at 27. At the other end 'of the holchamber rotates with the hollow shaft, be-I ing rigid therewith, and carries sweep blades 30. At the smaller end of the drum are delivery orifices 31 delivering starch into stationary casing 32. At the other end of the drum'is another stationary casing 33 for receiving water and fioating gluten. The whole apparatus is mounted on the usual base 34, standards 35, etc. Within the drum is diagrammatically shown a layer 36 of separated starch, a layer 37 of Water, and a layer 38 of floating gluten.

In the showing of Fig. 2, element 39 is a diagrammatically shown starch table fed with starch milk from 40. This starch milk is aerated by nozzle 4I fed with air or gas by pump` 42, the supply being controlled by valve 43. The floating gluten and water is received Afrom the starch table in vessel 44.

The showing in Fig. 3 represents a section on an exaggerated scale of the showing in Figs. 1 and 2, and represents the starch layer, the water layer, and the layer of .fioating gluten buoyed up by bubbles indicated as 45. The operation of this structure is evident. Thestarch milk fed by-21 into hopper 2O which serves as an equalizing device, is fed forward by screw 23 into delivery device (11), whence it is centrifugally thrown outward against the wall of the outer drum, there separating into water, starch and luten. Air fed in through 26,

-the supply eing controlled by 27, passes' through 29 into the starch milk and aerates it. Sweeps 30 prevent any laccumulation against the wal of the delivery device. The aerated starch milk thrown against the wall of the outer drum is separated into three layers and the helical screw feeds the starch backward out of the water and up over the coned dry wall of the outer drum until it reaches orifice 31, when it is centrifugally expelled. The aerated gluten and the water flows out through orifice (7).

The operation of Fig. 2 is obvious. Starch milk fed down through 40 receives air from`41 and is delivered upon the starch table where the starch sinks to the bottom and the gluten fioats above the water. In

the progress of the material down the starch table, the separated starch is taken off at the side byv means (not shown) while thewater and gluten pass forward and flow -into 44.

VVhat'I claim is 1. The process of making starch which comprises producing a starch milk, aerating the milk to cause flotation of the gluten and causing a separation of starch from the liquid during such flot-ation.

2. The process of making starch which comprises producing starch milk, aerating the starch milk to cause flotation of the gluten and centrifugally separating the starch from the liquid during the fiotation.

3. The process of making starch which comprises producing starch milk, impregnating it .with finely divided air in sufficient amount to cause a buoying up and flotation of the gluten and separating the liquid from the dense starch.

4. The process of making corn starch which comprises producing a starch milk from corn, impregnating the milk with finely divided air in amount sufficient to cause a flotation of the gluten and separating the starch from lthe liquor during such flotation.

The process of making starch whichcomprises producing a starch milk from corn, introducing it into a centrifugal in such manner yas to produce a simultaneous aeration with controlled amounts of air and separating the starch from the liquid and the buoyed gluten in the centrifugal.

6. The process ofmaking starch which comprises producing a starch milk from corn, introducing it into a rotating cylinder having a dry wall together with merely sufficient air to produce av flotation of the gluten, separating the floatin gluten with the liquidfrom the starch and working the separated starch up over the dry wall.

7. Inv the manufacture of starch, the process which comprises aerat-ing starch milk with finely divided air in quantity sufficient to float the gluten and thereafter separating the liquid into a layer of sta-rch and a layer of buoyed gluten spaced apart by an intervening layer of liquid.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signap ture inthe presence of witnesses.

JOHN J. BERRIGAN. 

